


(It Has Not Been)Two Hours

by Anonymous



Category: Cookie Run (Video Game)
Genre: I just want them to be happy, Other, Past Abuse, Pet Names, Recovery, Romantic Fluff, Time Skips, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:35:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21942262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Cyborg Cookie decides to take Aloe Cookie out on a kind of date they have never had before.
Relationships: Aloe Cookie/Cyborg Cookie (Cookie Run)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 30
Collections: Anonymous





	(It Has Not Been)Two Hours

Something has been bothering Aloe.

It's been three months since the "Cyborg Menace" crisis came to a close. Ever since then, Aloe vowed to never experiment on or upgrade Cyborg without their permission ever again. Cyborg promised to never hurt anyone ever again in turn. The scientist can recall the moment when Cyborg remembered everything, held in their partner's arms as they finally achieved the understanding they so desperately sought for. 

The room is dimly lit. Aloe is sitting at their work table, shoulders hunched, one hand rubbing their temples and the other holding a pen. A glass of water sits next to their papers, which remains almost as full as when they had filled it an hour ago. 

"What are you doing?"

Aloe doesn't need to turn around to know who that voice belongs to. Underneath that robotic hum, if Aloe can ignore it enough, it sounds just like the person Cyborg used to be. The scientist stretches, their back cracking. "Calculating how often you and Ion will need to fully charge your batteries for the next month. The usual."

They've been at this for hours. It shouldn't be difficult. Aloe has done this many times before, and it took far less out of them to get it done. 

"Well, now you're not. Spend time with me instead." 

Aloe can vividly picture the body language their significant other must be doing right now. Leaning on the door frame. A hand on their hip. Their tone, smokey and insistent, one they programmed into the cyborg themself. All of the numbers and words on Aloe's documents are indecipherable, gibberish not even they can understand at the current moment. There is something bothering Aloe, alright. All of their problems have been solved, and they're still working themselves to exhaustion. Their partner's lost memories were finally found. Ion Robot is the most cutting-edge AI in the world. These papers are lying in front of Aloe as if they still have power over them.

The scientist gives in.

The desk lamp is turned off. Aloe stands up, yawning and squinting their eyes as they tuck in the chair. They turn to Cyborg, a smile lighting up their dull features. "I've done enough work for today. I'm ready for whatever you want to do, my love."

Cyborg jumps up and down at the statement, clapping their hand and cannon. "Yay! This is wonderful! Electrifying!" Cheers the bionic cookie. Their metal cheeks are painted a delightful pink. Aloe approaches them, wrapping an arm around their shoulder, chuckling to themself.

Cyborg is gorgeous, Aloe thinks. They're so deeply in love with the bionic cookie that they can't get out of the hole they've dug themself into. But then again, why would they want to? Cyborg is a near perfect replication of the lover that used to be. Things may be different now because of their robotic qualities; hard, shiny steel replacing warm flesh. It was the only way to save them, for Aloe would rather put themself through all the sleepless nights they spent working on Cyborg's memory chip than go through a single day with the knowledge that they could've saved them, but didn't.

The couple exits the dark, gloomy laboratory, practically stuck together like glue. Cyborg is quite the clingy one. Not that Aloe minds, they indulge their lover from time to time with copious amounts of affection. "It's to make up for all of the lost time," Aloe would say, hiding their face in Cyborg's neck.

This building is their home now. The abandoned laboratory that Cyborg destroyed was renovated into a single-story house, the three cookies all designing and decorating it together. As Aloe and Cyborg amble to the front door, they pass by Ion Robot, completing a jigsaw puzzle. It seems content sitting on the floor the way that it is.

"Cyborg and I are going on a date," Aloe tells the small robot. "If we're gone for longer than two hours, assume we are in danger and come to our assistance."

It nods, then turns its attention back to the already well put-together puzzle, earning a tinge of pride from the scientist. "Ion wait for friends to get home. Cookies equal friends!"

Cyborg nudges their arm, bringing Aloe's attention back to them. 

"Right," they say, resuming their walk to the front entrance with Cyborg. As soon as the door is shut behind them, Cyborg stops in their tracks.

"Huh?" Ponders Aloe, removing their arm from the cyborg's shoulder, leaving them feeling empty inside. "I should've asked where we're going. Is there a particular date you have in mind, sweetheart?"

Aloe is all sharp edges and intellect. Their lab coat hugs their frame nicely— whenever they're rambling about scientific nonsense Cyborg doesn't care to understand they tuck their gloved hands into their pockets, voice matter-of-fact and silvery. Their slicked-back green hair is well taken care of, even the spikes, which adds to the attractiveness, in Cyborg's eyes. Aloe takes a situation, no matter how risky, into their own hands, and it delights the bionic cookie to see their eyes light up in ways other than the anger they used to make the scientist feel. Loving again- not only Aloe, but _themself_ , was a conclusion they had come to on their own terms.

Perhaps they're feeling romantic. Perhaps this sentimentality is getting to their head. Cyborg wraps their arm around the nape of Aloe's neck, leaning in to kiss the scientist, pressing their lips together. Aloe freezes up for a moment in shock, but reciprocates, one arm wrapped around the bionic cookie's waist and the other caressing their cheek with their thumb. Their lips are so warm and delicate compared to Cyborg's metallic ones. Cyborg could kiss them all night and neither of them would mind at all. However, there is something they wish to do, and the opportunity could vanish right before they know it.

Cyborg slowly breaks the kiss, returning their arm to their side. Aloe, slightly dazed, elicits a confused noise that has their systems short circuiting. What an adorable noise that was! Before the scientist can get any words out, Cyborg wraps their arms around them, squats, then lifts, gracefully carrying Aloe princess style. Their face is as red as strawberry jam, eyes glued to the ground they are not longer standing on.

"Cyborg? What is the meaning of this?" demands the flustered cookie. Cyborg laughs at their reaction. The rockets on the soles of their feet ignite with a light blue flame, lifting the couple off of the ground. 

"Traditional dates are so primitive! No point in upgrades and buffs if you can't use them!"

"Yes, but where are we going?"

Gradually ascending, grip tight on their lover, Cyborg lifts their gaze to the night sky. "Wherever nightfall calls us."

There's a wistfulness to their voice that ends up drawing Aloe in. As the distance between the cookies and the ground increases, Aloe's worries dissolve into thin air. No words have to be exchanged. Cyborg brings their gaze back to the scientist, whose expression says all that needed to be. _I trust you._

It was like being fully charged. The BB Battery couldn't hold a candle to what Aloe just made them feel, as though they were strong enough to take on the world without any help from Ion or clones of themself. Cyborg blasts off, accelerating higher and higher. They don't dare look down. They rise until the laboratory is a speck beneath them. 

The sky is purple and inky. It is infinite— stars and specks of planets gleaming, white dots in the sea of gradually darkening space. Soaring above and beyond the forest where Aloe's lab is located, a formation of stars begins to make its presence known. Cyborg can't help but be captivated by the almost canary light show.

Aloe smiles, finding themself fixated on it, as well. "The Blissful Full Moon constellation. Legends say that she has a radiance so brilliant the ones who gaze upon her find it impossible to sleep. Moonlight is the sole protector of the long gone City of Wizards, as characterized by that gorgeous magical staff of hers."

"You've seen this before, Aloe?" Cyborg asks, unable to look away from the constellation. It is as captivating as it is beautiful, Moonlight's twinkling dress lighting up the murky sky, streaks of light blue in her gold hair uniting day and night.

"It was the deciding factor that made me stay here. This constellation can only be seen in the abandoned forest. When the sky was clear, I'd look at it to alleviate stress. However, this is the first time I've seen Blissful Full Moon so up close without using a telescope."

The two stare for who knows how long. Long enough to burn the image into their minds. "I'm no astronomer, but I dabble into it once in a while. There is no image online that captures how beautiful this sight is. People would have to venture out into the forest inhabiting a mad scientist and their two robotic companions to observe it. No one is desperate enough to put themselves in that much danger for a constellation."

Aloe turns their head to look at Cyborg. The aforementioned cookie meets their gaze seconds later, having to drag their eyes away from the visual spectacle. "Shall we continue on our date, my love?"

The legendary Moonlight, beholder of the stars and protector of the City of Wizards… Cyborg has been captivated by her very existence. "I want to see constellations of the other legendary cookies."

"I'm afraid they're on other parts of the world," Aloe replies. "This is the only part of the region to have one of these."

"Well, I… don't know where else to go."

"Let's check out the big city, then. Haven't been there in months."

As the evening transitions into night, more stars come out to play. Violet becomes plum, the air is cooler, every now and again a gust of wind blows. Cyborg finds themself admiring how the wind catches Aloe's hair, ceasing to crisscross their face, looking refreshed as it ran its course. The moment is saved onto Cyborg's memory chip. The bionic cookie continues flying into new territory, the unknown filling them with excitement. Below is the ocean, reflecting all above it, the lights of the city not too far ahead now. There's an island nearby, Cyborg notices, descending to take a peak at it.

"The Cheesecake Manor," they recall. Big and beautiful as always, the mansion still stands proud, even after the strawberry jam mishap and Roguefort taking center stage. Despite being glamorous, the sight makes Cyborg feel bitter. They have vented their frustrations about that night to Aloe many times. Cyborg swore never to hurt anyone, but they were scribbled onto a child's suspect list anyway. Ion, their friend, was guilty of letting the notorious thief escape. Some party that was.

As they feel themselves being dragged back into that memory, as if they were really there, Aloe's voice penetrates through the haze. "HEY! Cyborg! The city isn't far. No one is forcing you to confront the Cheesecake Manor."

"R-Right," stutters Cyborg. They blow raspberries at the lavish manor before blasting away, a loud noise being left in their wake. Their lover's grip tightens as the bionic cookie soars through the air at increasing speed, feeling the wind lash at their face, adrenaline rushing through them. As they near the city, clouds begin to occupy the sky alongside them, covering bits and pieces of the full moon.

Everything is bright. Cyborg is hovering above the tallest buildings, overwhelmed with how lively the city is. Cookies walk the streets, each one with their own occupations. Some can be recognized. Walnut is looking into a magnifying glass, hunched over as she investigates every detail of the sidewalk. Cinnamon appears to have done some shopping, carrying bags all with different brand names on them. In the town square, Gingerbright is having a conversation with two people Cyborg does not recognize. Curious, they descend, forgetting the possibility of being seen.

"I haven't seen those two around," Aloe comments, "they must be new."

The cookie with candles and sprinkles in her hair gives a cheerful smile. "I promise to make your friend's birthday party the best she's ever had! It's quite fortunate that she doesn't like extravagant parties. My schedule is too packed to arrange one of those!"

"Leave the extravagance to me, Birthday Cake!" The cookie next to her pats their large rocket. "Firecrackers go with anything. Tea, check. Afternoons, check. Dubstep, check. Only thing it doesn't go with is calm! KABOOM!"

"Firecracker, please consider the client's tastes. That is not—"

The neon colored individual looks directly up at Cyborg and Aloe. "Is that a robot?!"

Birthday Cake looks confused as to what they're talking about. She and Gingerbright follow their gaze until it reaches the nervous couple. 

"I'm sure that's just a convincing costume. There is no need to worry about these strangers, Firecracker."

"But they have an arm cannon like in the movies! Every robot has an arm cannon!"

Cyborg is unsure how to respond. They feel the need to stress that they are a _cyborg_ , not a robot, but Firecracker looks too young to know the difference.

"Cyborg! It's you!" Gingerbright gasps and covers her mouth. She makes space between her fingers so that her words get past them. "That doesn't look like Ion Robot. Is that another friend of yours?"

Firecracker grabs their rocket, which begins to light up at the back, and charges towards Cyborg eagerly. "The more the merrier! I wanna see you blow stuff up, robot! You can do it at this next party we're arranging!"

"Stop this instant!" Birthday Cake exclaims, running after her friend. Cyborg takes this as their que to leave, taking off the moment Firecracker gets on their rocket, exerting their power to get as far away from the ecstatic cookie as possible. Away from the city, the Cheesecake Manor, _everything._

They chase after the full moon. It's silver like metal, guiding Cyborg in this sea of purple. The bionic cookie flies further upward, passing through a cloud, laughing with delight.

"We're west from the Cheesecake Manor by three kilometers," Aloe informs after tapping on their green scouter. A feeling of safety washes over Cyborg, grateful that they're not lost. This gives them the confidence to soar even higher, getting closer to the moon, bathed in silver light. Aloe's chest heaves.

"How much feet above the ground are we, my beloved? I can go to space if so desired!"

Their response is delayed. Cyborg looks at them for the first time in a while— the scientist is panting like each breath could be their last, arm shaky as they fiddle with their scouter. "E-Eight thousand, three hundred and twenty-nine feet. We need to get to a lower altitude, because this… I can't handle this. At high altitudes, the oxygen level is far lower than at sea level, which can lead to altitude sickness. We're up high enough to see mid level clouds."

"I am amazed at your dedication to telling me science facts, even when you're short on breath." They're already descending, drifting through clouds. "Was that cloud we passed through just now a mid or low level?"

"Mid," Aloe states, still struggling to breathe. Cyborg sinks slowly, giving time for them to recover their breath. In the inky, purple sky, it's just the two of them, observing celestial bodies that no other cookie can get this close to. When one of them isn't speaking, the only sound is of the exhaust in Cyborg's jet boots. They stare into each other's eyes. "Low level clouds can be seen at six thousand feet or lower. As we descend, mid level clouds will be out of our reach."

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Cyborg finally understands the meaning of this statement, closer to the love of their life than they are to the ground. Being made of metal means they'll never be a "real cookie". When they fall on hard concrete, their knee would be perfectly unharmed, pain barely registering in their electrical cords. They never have to experience hunger, eating simply because it's what they used to do, when Cyborg was a real cookie. Some would argue that hunger and pain are limitations, but when those are stripped away from you, when you pinch yourself wondering why your skin has lost its softness, it's the frame keeping the picture known as your identity together.

Living in a lab in the middle of a forest means they don't encounter other beings. The only person to remind Cyborg of the vulnerabilities of humanity was Aloe, just by going about their day. They bleed, require nutrition to survive, can catch illnesses. Cyborg supposes they're soft, in this regard. No matter how many reminders of their differences between them are shown, Cyborg knows that they are both cookie _and_ cyborg. If they really were a robot— an unthinking, lifeless AI that follows commands— then why does carrying Aloe in their arms in this way make them feel stronger than when they blew up the scientist's laboratory, or, _or—_ they are dazzled by the same night sky everyone else sees? A robot sees in code. It could be programmed to feel emotions, but those would be based on what their programmer felt, accomplishing nothing but an emulation that masquerades as authenticity. Cyborg's emotions are real, they were felt in a real person that died and came back to life as a cyborg. They have the enhancements of a robot and the "limitation" known as emotion, packed into one like the sound of a hammer driving nails into wood, a sound that the dual existing cookie enjoys.

Their existence is beautiful, and it is one worth living.

By the time Aloe and Cyborg are just two hundred feet in the air, close enough to observe the navy blue ocean, the latter grins. "Hold on," they warn, rockets bursting with power. Aloe has only a second to tighten their grip before Cyborg accelerates, dipping down until they're just above the calm ocean. The bionic cookie laughs wholeheartedly, and Aloe joins moments later. The sound of their shared laughter fills the atmosphere. Cyborg glances down at the tranquil body of water, their reflection almost as clear as a mirror. Aloe dips their hand down, fingertips barely grazing against it. Their gloves have remained on the entire time, but the scientist is unbothered by this fact, freely touching the liquid and creating an interstice. They playfully splash water on Cyborg, giggling when they wince.

Like a rollercoaster, Cyborg curves upward, gradually increasing in speed. They slope upwards in a complete circle. The two have become cachinnating messes, out in the middle of nowhere with only each other's company. This is how it used to be. All worries melted away, the rational part of Cyborg's mind having shut down; without thinking, they throw Aloe up into the air.

Cyborg has more strength than they realize. It was meant to be a ludic toss, Cyborg would have caught them immediately, but— Aloe was launched far higher than predicted. The scientist shrieks, panic staining their face, as they suddenly start plummeting. It doesn't process in the cyborg's mind until their significant other falls past them. Then, at breakneck speed, Cyborg plunges, stretching out their arms. They catch Aloe, holding on tight as though they could slip right between their fingers.

"Aloe! Are you okay?" 

The scientist flails a bit, twisting until they're safely positioned, nestled in Cyborg's arms. "I was about to plummet into an endless sea where I would've drowned, but yes, I suppose that I am okay!"

Their voice is taut. Aloe is shaking, breathing rapidly. "D-Did you even _think_ before you did that? We're less than fifty feet above the water. I could've—"

"I **know** what could have happened." Cyborg is craving electricity, all of a sudden. Perhaps thinking of it will get them out of this situation. They gnash their teeth, if only to feel something. "Things were going fantastically! Don't blame me for getting a little reckless."

Lip biting. A clenched, shaking fist, longing to punch something. There's nothing but the infinite sky and Cyborg, floating above the ocean. Aloe raises their fist. Reflexively, their lover winces, tears pricking at the corners of their digital eyes.

They stop. Aloe opens their palm, looking at it with a guilt-ridden, mortified expression. "W-Wait, _I wasn't going to_ —"

A thick swallow. Aloe is unable to speak. The words have been caught in their throat, strangling them. No matter how many times Aloe apologizes, tells Cyborg how better of a partner they will be, it will never remedy what they have done. The effects of the agonizing upgrades, augments, buffs, will continue to haunt Cyborg for a long time. It is a truth that Aloe has struggled with. The past three months have been strenuous for Aloe, but they know that Cyborg has it worse, so they give their all into bettering themself. Because actions speak louder than words.

Aloe would do _anything_ to go back in time and prevent their unspeakable actions. After an eternity of failed memory chip activation and failed memory chip activation, they started to view Cyborg as an annoyance. A reminder of what once was; what could not be salvaged. It was wrong and maybe if they lived with someone other than a robot that can't compose basic sentences they would have realized just how _fucked up_ it was to make a cyborg that resembles their dead lover into a Guinea pig. It is easy to pity yourself. It is easy to lament about how awful you are to the one that you harmed; although it is a first step, you cannot use it as a crutch. This isn't about Aloe. Cyborg took their leg, destroyed their lab, went off the deep end by enacting their revenge, and despite all of that, it is about Cyborg.

So they gather their thoughts. Exhale. 

"You saved me in the nick of time. Thank you, Cyborg."

With the open palm, Aloe caresses their metal cheek. Cyborg releases the breath they have been holding, leaning into Aloe's touch. " _I'm sorry,_ " they apologize, voice brittle.

"No need to apologize, my love." Aloe has a remarkably modulated tone of voice. The bionic cookie lets out a sigh of relief, shoulders dropping. "Flying around for so long must be exhausting. Let's find somewhere you can rest."

Cyborg nods. They turn around, slowly, and begin to return to the city they visited earlier. The flight back is silent.

They land on the tallest building's rooftop. Aloe is let go of by the crouching cyborg. Dusting themselves off, Aloe walks up to the edge of the rooftop, observing all that is below them. Golden street lights pierce the thoroughfare. A small, young boy in shabby-looking clothes peddles on his trike, delivering newspapers with a smile. Aloe's lab coat sways in the breeze that washes over the city. Cyborg joins them at the edge, a content grin on their face.

"Do you read the newspaper?"

"Not anymore," Aloe replies. "This child's dedication is respectable, though."

"Reading it would be fun. I'm interested in getting into new hobbies."

Aloe inches toward their significant other, taking the cyborg's hand in theirs. "Oh, really? What kind of hobbies?"

"There are so many that I wish to take up! Painting, singing, gardening, yoga, sewing, playing sports! But I am afraid that my heart lies in the musical instrument department. Deciding which instrument to play is an ordeal in of itself!"

"How about the piano?" Aloe recommends, wrapping an arm around Cyborg's waist, pulling them close. "I've heard that it's easy to learn."

"The piano, you say? What a romantic instrument! _Swoon!_ " Cyborg drapes an arm cannon over their forehead. Seconds later, they giggle, wrapping both of their arms around Aloe's neck. "I will play a song that brings you to tears from the emotional impact it'll surely have."

"Can't wait." 

"Aloe, I am grateful that we've went on this date. You have shown me such beautiful things I never would've noticed formerly! Both parts of me have fallen head over heels for you. The part that used to be, and the part that is Cyborg."

Aloe kisses them on the cheek. They're both grinning ear to ear, perfectly content. "I'm honored. I will continue to do my best to be the best significant other that I can possibly be for you."

 _I'll never get enough of that smile_ , Aloe thinks. Steadily, as to not surprise them, the scientist kisses Cyborg.

Kissing them shouldn't feel this good. It wasn't in the programming. When Aloe built them, they focused on making them strong enough to never get hurt again. That was it. Aloe was desperate and constructed Cyborg to be waterproof, fireproof, sturdy and powerful. Still, as Cyborg kisses them back, closes their eyes and moves their lips in the exact same way they used to— Aloe lets themself go. Their kisses are passionate, frantic, as if each one was their last. Cyborg isn't completely like the person they used to be, even after regaining their memories, but Aloe wouldn't have it any other way. "I love you," Aloe says softly in-between kisses, their words meant to be heard by Cyborg alone. The bionic cookie listens attentively, running their fingers through Aloe's hair. As Aloe leans in to kiss again, the sound of a hulking figure landing on the empty rooftop causes the couple to look towards the source of the sound.

"Ion? Has it really been two hours?" Cyborg returns their arms to their sides. 

The robot is in its Advanced Tier-2 form. It looks down to the roof shyly. "It has not."

"Did you sense any danger, Ion?" Aloe asks. The aforementioned cookie takes a step forward.

"Ion Robot misses its friends. Aloe and Cyborg equal friends."

Cyborg chuckles, advancing toward their friend. "You missed us? How sweet!" They pat Ion's head. "I missed you, too!"

Aloe can't help but smile at the sight of the two most important people in their life being affectionate with each other. Ion pulls Cyborg into an embrace with one massive arm, who tries to hug back as much of the AI as they could. Ion's other arm is empty. It gestures to Aloe.

They chortle. "Don't worry about me, I'm coming," they promise, dawdling into Ion's hold. The three of them are enjoying a sappy group hug. The night is still young, and there is plenty more to do. Aloe never thought they would get something like this; not after what they had done. They gaze at Cyborg, the love of their life, their _soulmate._ They will do everything in their power to give Cyborg the life that they deserve. If they are unable to, then they will push themself until they **can.**

Life may not be how it used to be, nor will it ever, but this love can be salvaged with enough delicacy and care.


End file.
